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1
Conor McGregor(Mixed Martial Artist and Former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Double-Champion)
Birthdate: July 14, 1988
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland
The highest paid fighter of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Conor McGregor is one of the most famous athletes in the world. His ascent from humble beginnings to becoming ‘The Notorious’ has been fuelled by McGregor’s mastery of martial arts, skilful fighting style and powerful punches. He is the first fighter to hold both UFC Featherweight Championship and UFC Lightweight Championship simultaneously.
2
Khabib Nurmagomedov(Former Russian Mixed Martial Artist and the First Muslim to Win a UFC Title)
Birthdate: September 20, 1988
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sil'di, Russia
Russian professional mixed martial artist, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is known for holding the longest active undefeated streak in MMA, with 28 wins and no losses. In September 2020, he was named #2 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. He practices Islam and is the first Muslim to win a UFC title.
3
Ronda Rousey(First American Female to Earn an Olympic Medal in Judo)
Birthdate: February 1, 1987
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Riverside, California, United States
A professional WWE wrestler, Ronda Rousey was the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion and also the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Earlier, she became the first US woman to win an Olympic medal in judo. Amongst the greatest female MMA fighter, Ronda has also appeared in films like The Expendables 3 and Furious 7.
Recommended Lists:4
Brock Lesnar(One of the Greatest Professional Wrestlers of All Time)
Birthdate: July 12, 1977
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Webster, South Dakota, United States
A multi-faceted personality, Brock Lesnar has had successful careers in the field of wrestling, mixed martial arts, and football. Best known for his wrestling career, Brock is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever. Brock, who has had an equally successful MMA career, is the only person in history to hold a WWE world championship and UFC championship.
Recommended Lists:5
Jon Jones(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist and Former Two-Time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion)
Birthdate: July 9, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Jon Jones, the American professional mixed martial artist, is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever. He holds many Ultimate Fighting Championship records in the light heavyweight division. However, he has been also been involved in several controversies and has been arrested for felony, hit-and-run charges and has tested positive for banned substances.
6
Israel Adesanya(New Zealand Mixed Martial Artist and Kickboxer)
Birthdate: July 22, 1989
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
Israel Adesanya is a Nigerian-born New Zealand kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and former boxer. Considered one of the best strikers in MMA, Adesanya has won multiple championships and is the current UFC Middleweight Champion. In 2019, Israel Adesanya was named New Zealand Sportsman of the Year at the Halberg Awards.
Recommended Lists:7
Nate Diaz(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: April 16, 1985
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Stockton, California, United States
Nate Diaz is an American mixed martial artist with experience of competing in several promotions, such as Strikeforce, World Extreme Cagefighting, and Pancrase. He is currently signed with the UFC and is tied with Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. for the second-most bonus awards. In 2007, Nate Diaz took part in the fifth season of the reality TV series Ultimate Fighter.
Birthdate: May 19, 1981
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Quebec, Canada
Considered one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, Georges St-Pierre is a former professional mixed martial artist. Starting from 2008, he was named by Rogers Sportsnet as the Canadian Athlete of the Year for three consecutive years. When he defeated Michael Bisping at UFC 217, he became only the fourth fighter to be a multi-division champion in UFC history.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: April 14, 1975
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil
Brazilian MMA legend Anderson Silva began learning Taekwondo at 12. He holds the record of the longest reign by any UFC title-holder, being the middleweight champion from 2006 to 2013, and also has a record of 16 consecutive wins. He also has black belts in multiple martial art forms.
10
Francis Ngannou(Cameroonian-French Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: September 5, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Batié, Cameroon Batié, Cameroon
Francis Ngannou is a Cameroonian MMA fighter who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) heavyweight division. The current UFC Heavyweight Champion, Ngannou is renowned for his heavy punches and is the hardest recorded puncher of all time. Ngannou is also known for his philanthropic efforts; the Francis Ngannou Foundation aims at helping young people train in a gym.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: February 12, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Oxnard, California, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
12
Stipe Miocic(One of the Greatest Heavyweight Fighters in UFC History)
Birthdate: August 19, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Euclid, Ohio, United States
Rising from a humble background, Stipe Miocic won NAAFS Heavyweight Championship and reached Ultimate Fighting Championship, the biggest MMA platform. His talent made him one of the most successful heavyweight champions in UFC history with numerous awards. Apart from fighting MMA matches,Stipe Miocic works as a firefighter and paramedic and saves lives in Cleveland.
Recommended Lists:13
Amanda Nunes(Brazilian Professional Mixed Martial Artist Widely Regarded as the Greatest Female Mixed Martial Artist of All Time)
Birthdate: May 30, 1988
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Pojuca, State of Bahia, Brazil
Amanda Nunes is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently associated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current UFC Women's Featherweight Champion. She is also a former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest female mixed martial artists of all time. She is openly lesbian.
14
Donald Cerrone(American Retired Mixed Martial Artist and Actor)
Birthdate: March 29, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Recommended Lists:15
Tyron Woodley(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: April 7, 1982
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ferguson, Missouri, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
16
Holly Holm(American Mixed Martial Artist and One of the Best Female Professional Boxers of All Time)
Birthdate: October 17, 1981
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Holly Holm is a mixed martial artist. A former world champion in boxing, Holm currently competes in the UFC and holds the distinction of being the first fighter to hold a UFC title and a world boxing title. Her win against Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in the history of combat sports.
Recommended Lists:17
Justin Gaethje(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: November 14, 1988
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Safford, Arizona, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
18
Michael Bisping(English Actor, Commentator and Retired Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: February 28, 1979
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nicosia, Cyprus
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Recommended Lists:19
José Aldo(One of the Best Mixed Martial Artists of All-Time)
Birthdate: September 9, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil
MMA fighter José Aldo is best known for his UFC Featherweight Championship win in 2010, a title he defended seven times. In 2014, his win against Cad Mendes was termed the Fight of the Year by many organizations. By 2020, he was ranked 6th in the UFC Bantamweight rankings.
20
Alexander Volkanovski(Australian Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: September 29, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Alexander Volkanovski is an Australian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Volkanovski is the current featherweight champion in UFC and is currently ranked fourth in the UFC men's pound-for-pound list. Alexander Volkanovski has had one successful title defense and one Fight of the Night honor in his UFC career so far.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: August 2, 1983
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Stockton, California, United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
22
Alistair Overeem(First Fighter to Hold World Titles in MMA and K-1 Kickboxing at the Same Time)
Birthdate: May 17, 1980
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: May 11, 1987
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Auchi, Nigeria
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
24
Yoel Romero(Cuban Professional Mixed Martial Artist and Former Freestyle Wrestler)
Birthdate: April 30, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pinar del Río, Cuba
Widely considered one of the most athletic competitors ever in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Yoel Romero is often compared with the greats of the sport. A former freestyle wrestler, Romero earned Cuba a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Recommended Lists:25
Charles Oliveira(Brazilian Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: October 17, 1989
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Guarujá Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
26
Dustin Poirier(Professional Mixed Martial Artist and Former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion)
Birthdate: January 19, 1989
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lafayette, Louisiana, United States
Dustin Poirier is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). An absolute angel off the ring, Poirier often auctions his UFC kit to donate money to various charitable causes. In 2018, he founded a non-profit organization called The Good Fight Foundation, along with his wife.
Recommended Lists:27
Chael Sonnen(Retired Mixed Martial Artist and One of the Biggest Trash Talkers in MMA History)
Birthdate: April 3, 1977
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: West Linn, Oregon, United States
Chael Sonnen is a retired mixed martial artist. He is also a submission grappling promoter and mixed martial arts (MMA) analyst. He began his mixed martial arts career in 1997 and soon became a top contender in both the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has also made a few film appearances.
Birthdate: March 20, 1979
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lafayette, Louisiana, United States
Daniel Cormier is a retired professional mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler who is a former King of the Cage Heavyweight Champion. He began wrestling while still in school and attended Colby Community College, where he continued to wrestle. He then turned professional and also ventured into mixed martial arts. He has also made a few media appearances.
Recommended Lists:29
Tito Ortiz(American Mixed Martial Artist and Politician)
Birthdate: January 23, 1975
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Huntington Beach, California, United States
Mixed martial artist, Tito Ortiz, is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. In the past, he has worked with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and was the Light Heavyweight Champion for three years. He also owns an MMA training gym and an MMA equipment and clothing line. In 2020, he ventured into politics.
Birthdate: December 4, 1991
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
Recommended Lists:31
Henry Cejudo(Professional Mixed Martial Artist and the Only Person to Win an Olympic Gold Medal and a UFC Title)
Birthdate: February 9, 1987
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
32
Cody Garbrandt(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: July 7, 1991
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Uhrichsville, Ohio, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: September 28, 1976
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rubizhne, Ukraine
Russian mixed martial artist, judoka, and sambist Fedor Emelianenko, also known as “The Last Emperor,” competes for Bellator MMA and the Rizin Fighting Federation. He went from being a firefighter to Sports Illustrated’s top MMA fighter of the 2000s. He is also part of the Russian Presidential Council on sports.
34
Joanna Jędrzejczyk(Former Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: August 18, 1987
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Olsztyn, Poland
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Recommended Lists:35
Colby Covington(Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: February 22, 1988
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Clovis, California, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
Birthdate: September 3, 1985
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States
Dominick Cruz is an American mixed martial artist. Renowned for his quick striking, powerful wrestling base, and unorthodox movement, Cruz is one of the most agile competitors in the history of mixed martial arts. A two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz is currently one of the most popular competitors at the UFC.
37
Rose Namajunas(Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: June 29, 1992
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
38
Ken Shamrock(American Retired Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: February 11, 1964
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Macon, Georgia, United States
Ken Shamrock is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist who promotes bare-knuckle boxing. He is widely considered an icon and pioneer of mixed martial arts(MMA), as well as one of the greatest fighters in MMA's history. As a professional wrestler, Ken Shamrock is credited with popularizing a submission hold called the ankle lock.
39
Randy Couture(Actor, Former Mixed Martial Artist & Greco-Roman Wrestler)
Birthdate: June 22, 1963
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Everett, Washington, United States
Randy Couture is a former U.S. Army sergeant and retired mixed martial artist. He currently works as an actor. He began his career as an army man and later turned to mixed martial arts. In this field, he was a three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. After quitting UFC, he became an actor and starred in the hit film The Hard Way.
40
Cain Velasquez(Professional Wrestler and Retired Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: July 28, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Salinas, California, United States
Wrestler and MMA fighter Caín Velasquez is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is known for his signature fighting style, known as swarming, which involves moving forward to allow little room to opponents. He was released from his contract with WWE owing to budget constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
41
Robert Whittaker(Australian Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: December 20, 1990
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, New Zealand
Robert Whittaker is a mixed martial artist. He competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former UFC middleweight champion. He is currently ranked first in the UFC middleweight rankings and 12th in the UFC men's pound-for-pound list. He has received five Fight of the Night awards. In 2018, he was named Sportsman of the year by GQ Australia.
42
Chuck Liddell(Former Mixed Martial Artist Who Helped Bring MMA Into the Mainstream of American Sports and Entertainment)
Birthdate: December 17, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Santa Barbara, California, United States
Chuck Liddell is a retired mixed martial artist. He participated in 23 fights in the UFC and is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He is widely credited with bringing MMA into mainstream American entertainment. He was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in 2007. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2009.
Birthdate: February 11, 1983
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Simpsonville, South Carolina, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
44
Luke Rockhold(Retired Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: October 17, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Santa Cruz, California, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
45
Zhang Weili(Chinese Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: August 13, 1989
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Handan, Hebei, China
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
46
Miesha Tate(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist and Former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion)
Birthdate: August 18, 1986
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States
MMA fighter Miesha Tate is a former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. She is best known for her grappling skills. Following her retirement, she works as the vice president of ONE Championship and lives in Singapore. She has also graced the covers of fitness magazines such as Fitness Gurls.
47
B.J. Penn(American Former Professional Mixed Martial Art Fighter)
Birthdate: December 13, 1978
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kailua, Hawaii, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
Birthdate: February 7, 1986
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sonora, California, United States
Mixed martial artist T. J. Dillashaw is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Interested in wrestling from a young age, he made his professional debut in 2010 and went on to achieve much success. He tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2019 and was suspended for two years.
49
Cris Cyborg(One of the Greatest Female Mixed Martial Artists of All Time)
Birthdate: July 9, 1985
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Curitiba, Brazil
Brazilian MMA fighter Cris Cyborg currently competes for Bellator MMA and is the reigning Bellator Women's Featherweight World Champion. She has also won the Strikeforce, UFC, and Invicta FC World Featherweight Championships, this becoming the only MMA Grand Slam champion, having won all four major MMA titles.
Birthdate: October 26, 1984
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rafael dos Anjos is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist. A former UFC Lightweight Champion, dos Anjos is renowned for his aggressive approach, which often takes his opponents by surprise. Characterized by his strong takedown capabilities and physical strength, dos Anjos holds victories over popular martial artists like Robbie Lawler and Benson Henderson.
While the term Mixed Martial Arts first came into use only in the 1990s, the earliest form of the arts originated over 6,000 years ago in China. It started gaining prominence in the mid-19th century and as of today the combat sport has become highly popular with stars like Cody Garbrandt, Tyron Woodley, and Max Holloway raking in millions per fight. While Mixed Martial Arts is predominantly a male dominated sphere, women fighters like Laura Sanko, Miesha Tate, and Ronda Jean Rousey prove that the ladies aren’t lagging behind when it comes to this thrilling combat sport. Read on for more information about the life of famous mixed martial artists.
